He is kicking the curb because he made a mistake. “Kicking the curb” gives the listener an image of a child kicking the curb over a mistake and could relate to Adam’s immaturity in his relationship.

The use of the road or freeway comes back up here in this line. Adam tries to think about the road “not taken.” It could also refer to Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken. In it, Frost takes the road less travelled on, challenging himself mentally. Even if he could have travelled the second road later on, it wouldn’t be the same: it was a different time than when he took the first road. He, like Adam, is sorry he could not travel both.

Very descriptive way to describe the poverty at home. They needed more blankets because the family couldn’t afford to fix the root of the problem. Blankets are far cheaper than real repairs.

This is very similar to Kanye West’s attitude. Near the end of New Slaves a line is repeatedly sung “I can’t lose, no I can’t lose”. This is the attitude Macklemore has now approaching his second album, because Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us went mainstream, he is no longer just selling to Hip Hop fans, he has a worldwide mixed fanbase. So if hip hop fans don’t but it, fans from other genres will. He therefore can’t fail.

Afrika Bambaataa once said,

If this picture doesn’t explain this for you, then it’s simple, Beyonce has a body lustfully desired by men and it relates to a figure that any woman would want. Therefore her body get’s a lot of attention.

Target does not know if he enjoys the fame and what it brings him…

…or is using fame as a shield to hide from reality, masking his pain and issues with easy admiration.

The only thing the mailman brings is bad news, another bill he can’t pay. He plays with the classic song “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes, who did want the mailman to come. Target wants none of that, just silence.

He compares life to the length of a son: when it stops playing, so do you. You only have so many minutes to make the mark that you want to make.